Ohio Republican claims Afghan refugees could 'infiltrate' US government like 'America-hating' Ilhan Omar

On Thursday, former Ohio Treasurer Josh Mandel — a leading candidate for the state's Republican nomination for Senate — fired off a racist screed against Afghan refugees on Twitter, following a report that some could be resettled in Cleveland.

"This is exactly how we ended up with America-hating, Christian-hating, Jew-hating, Ilhan Omar infiltrating the U.S. government," said Mandel — referring to the Somali-American congresswoman from Minnesota who came to America as a refugee at a young age.

Mandel, who previously lost a Senate race against Democrat Sherrod Brown in 2012 and is now seeking the vacant seat from retiring Rob Portman by boasting of his allegiance to former President Donald Trump, has repeatedly come under fire for racist rhetoric.

In March, he was briefly suspended from Twitter after polling his followers on which "type of illegals" will commit the most crimes: "Muslim Terrorists" or "Mexican Gangbangers." He has focused particularly on Omar, calling for her to be deported.